Out of eleven scoring chances Gor Mahia created against Bandari FC in a friendly at Mbaraki Stadium, Mombasa on Saturday, only one was successfully converted, a worrisome conversation rate for a team that has been profligate in front of goal for a while now.In the match won by the Dockers, who scored two goals from four chances, the 19-time Kenyan Premier League champions started with no natural striker, with veteran winger George “Blackberry” Odhiambo and academy graduates Llyod Khavuchi and Parmanas Ochola, leading the hunt for goals.Boniface Omondi, another winger, was a second half substitute, while his counterpart Sammy Onyango and unsettled prodigy Benson Omala missed the encounter with various reasons.”That is just an issue we have to deal with. There’s no point denying the obvious that we don’t have many options in the number nine position,” K’Ogalo coach Jonathan McKinstry told Mozzart Sport.With a FIFA transfer ban on their neck until January next year, Gor Mahia cannot tap in new talents outside their youth structure – leaving 37-year-old McKinstry with no options but to dig deeper for solutions. Nick Mwendwa announces return of football in ‘one month’To plug the void, the former Uganda Cranes tactician has been moulding John Macharia, who also missed the warm-up match with an injury, to take step up when needed to be the lead striker, and things are looking up for the 23-year former FC Kolkheti (Georgia) left-footed winger, according to the gaffer.”He has been looking good in training – playing in a more advanced role from a normally attacking midfielder, he’s adapting well to be a central striker if we need him there.””There’s no point sitting and complaining that we can’t sign players, that does not change the situation, it’s about us finding a solution, going out and winning football matches,” he added.Juxtaposed with the invisible 2015 season when they scored sixty goals in thirty games, the team’s best league show in modern history, K’Ogalo’s scoring prowess has substantially diminished with the last two seasons being worse. In the recent outings, Gor scored 32 and 38 goals respectively in 34 fixtures. ##NAJAVA_MECA_6642879##The figures were even comparatively depressing to the 2019/20 season’s when the club was crowned champions in round 23 following the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, they had scored 47 goals.Yet, despite the loss to Bandari, McKinstry was pleased with the general performance of his charges, and is boisterous as the new season beckons.”We know that’s football and the guys have to understand that when you create that many chances, you have to take them. Overall, if you watched that game, if you remove the three goals from the video, and watch the game and ask people to guess who would have won the game, I think most people would have said Gor (Mahia).”In terms of performance, we were largely pleased with it. There are still some areas to work on, but if we perform like that in most of our games in the KPL, we will win quite a number of them with that level of performance.”Gor Mahia continue with preseason and are scheduled to play Police FC on Saturday at Camp Toyoyo.
